paterson



(No Model.) 7 2 SheetsSheet .1.

A. PATERSON.

MACHINE FOR FORMING WAGON AXLBS. No. 374,694. Patented Dec. 13, 1887.

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2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

No Model.)

A. PATERSON.

MACHINE FOR FORMING WAGON AXLBS.

Patented Dec. 13, 1887.

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ANDREW PATERSON, OF MOKEESPORT, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE NATIONALTUBE I/VORKS COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

MACHINE FOR FORMING WAGON-AXLES.

SPECIFICATION forming partof Letters Patent No. 37 dated ece 3, 18 7.

Application filed February 28, 1887. Serial No. 229,129. (No model.)

To CLZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, ANDREW PATERSON, of McKeesport, Allegheny county,Pennsylvania,

have invented certain new and useful Improve- 1 'lVIy'improvements willbe readily understood from the following description, taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings, in whichl Figure l is a sideelevation of a machine serving to illustrate my improvements; Fig. 2, aplan of the same; Fig. 3, afront elevation of the rear housing wit-hattached parts, some being shown in vertical section; Fig.4, a rearelevation of a portion of the rear housing with various parts in place;Fig. 5, an end view of one of the nipple-roll carriers which issupported by the rear housing; Fig. 6, a diagram illustrating therelation of rolls to each other and to the tube being formed; Fig. 7,aside elevation of a portion of a tubular wagon-axle, shown inconnection with arr-elementary forming-roll, such forming-roll beingdesigned to serve in illustrating a peculiar principle of operationwhich I prefer to involve in my machine; Fig. 8, a side elevation of afluted form= ing-roll; and Fig. 9, an end elevation of aportion ofaforming-roll, showing one ofthe flutes.

In the drawings, A indicates the rear housing of the machine, the sameconsisting of a vertically-disposed plate provided with a vertical slotto receive sliding roll-boxes and with a horizontal slot crossing thesame and arranged to receive sliding nipple-roll carriers; B, the fronthousing, similar to the rear hous ing, but not necessarily provided withslots for nipple-roll carriers, the two housings being set in parallelplanes; 0, roll-boxes fitted to slide in the vertical slots of the.housing; D, a pair of rolls journaled in the roll-boxes and hav- .rollsand intended to receive rotary motion and serve in imparting the propermotions to the various parts of the machine; H, a pair of verticalshafts to the rear of the rear housing and disposed one on each side ofthe plane of the driving-shaft and main rolls.

J is a worm-gearing serving to transmit motion from the driving shaft tothe vertical shafts, one worm upon the driving-shaft engaging aworm-wheel upon each of the vertical shafts, one of the vertical shaftsbeing set farther to the front than the other; K, wormgearing serving totransmit motion from the vertical shafts to the shafts of the mainrolls, the main-roll shafts projecting rearwardly beyond the rearhousing, each a sufficient distance to permit its worm-wheel to engagethe worm of its appropriate vertical shaft; L, a top sh aft supported inthe housings above and parallel to the driving-shaft; M, vertical screwsdisposed alongside the housings and engaging each an appropriateroll-box in such manner that when all of the screws are simultaneouslyrevolved the main rolls will be brought together or moved apart; N,worm-gearing serving to transmit motion from the top shaft to thevertical screws, the arrangement of this wormgearing being similar tothat of the gearing J; O, gearing serving to transmit motion from thedriving shaft to the top shaft, the same consisting of a pair ofspur-gears, the one'on the top shaft being loose on the shaft andprovided with a clutch-hub; P, gearing similar to the gearing 0, butinvolving an intermediate gear, so as to cause a reversal of directionof motion, the wheels of this gearing being proportioned to give to thetop shaftavelocity of motion different from that given by the gearing 0;Q, a clutch upon the top shaft fitted to be thrown into engagement witheither of the spur-gears upon the top shaft, so as to serve in lockingeither gear to the top shaft; R, nipple-roll carriers, the sameconsisting-0f blocks fitted to slide in the horizontal slot of the rearhousing; S, nippling-rolls supported by the nipple-roll carriers, suchrolls being of a length and size and contour suited to the form ofnipple desired upon the tube being operated upon; '1, a rack in the rearface of each nipple-roll carrier, such racks being fitted for horizontaladjustment in their carriers; U, pinions upon the vertical screwspertaining to the rear housing, these pinions being secured to thescrews at points in their length not needed for the purpose of thescrews, the pinions engaging the racks T; V, screws serving to fix theracks to the nipple-roll carriers after adjustment; V, Figs. 8 and 9,flutes on the main rolls; a, the parallel portion of the tubularwagon-axle; b, the tapering portion thereof; 0, the nipple, thereof toreceiye the axle-nut; d, an elementary forming -roll, or, rather, astructure intended to illustrate a principle of construction which maybe involved in the forming-roll s, such elementary roll beingillustrated as consisting of two end portions or flanges only instead ofhaving a continuous length, the two flanges being of course secured tothe shaft, so as to revolve together; e, the flange of the'elementaryroll corresponding to the small end of the taper to be produced in thework in hand; f, the flange of the elementary roll corresponding to thelarge end of the taper to be produced,'and g shallow notches in thepcriphf cry of the flange.

The driving-shaft G, revolving continuously, serves to transmitcontinuous rotary motion to the two main rolls in opposite direction,and at the same time serves in transmitting rotary mot-ion to the topshaft, L, when the clutch Q is thrown, the direction of motion of thetop shaft and the velocity of its rotation depending upon which way theclutch is thrown. The rotation of the top shaft serves in rotating thevertical screws M, and these screws serve in adjusting the distancebetween the main rolls. The gearing O and P is to be so arranged withreference to direction of mo tions that the opening of the rolls willtake place much more quickly than the closing of the rolls. It followsthat while the main rolls are revolving'they may be quickly opened orslowly closed.

While the vertical screws are opening or closing the main rolls, thepinions U will serve in simultaneously opening or closing thenippling-rolls, the closing of all of the rolls taking placesimultaneously; but it is obvious that as the opening and closing of themain rolls is effected by the screw-threads, while the opening and'closing of the nippling-rolls is effected by the racks and pinions, theopening and closing of the nippling-rolls will take place much morerapidly than the corresponding opening and closing of the main rolls.The adjustment of the racks upon the nippling-roll carriers renders itpossible to fix upon an adjustment for a predetermined dis tance betweenthe nippling-rolls corresponding with a different predetermined distancebetween the main rolls.

Let all the rolls be opened. Heat the end of a metal tubefor such lengthas requires condensation of diameter. Open the chuck F. Insert the metaltube through the chuck and cndwise between the main rolls until the endof the tube lies between the nippling-rolls and about even with the rearends of the main rolls. Then tighten the chuck. The drivingshaft beingin continuous rotation, the main rolls will be continuously revolving.Throw the clutch so as to close the main rolls, and the main rolls willbegin to approach each other slowly and powerfully, and their runningperipheries will soon come in contact with the periphery of thestationary tube, the nippling -rolls meantime either standing at somedistance from the tube, but moving toward it, or else, under certaincircumstances of adjustment, making contact with the periphery of thetube at the instant the main rolls make such contact. When the revolvingmain rolls come in contact with the tube, rotary motion will betransmitted to the tube by the friction of the contact, and the chuck F,revolving in its bearing, will serve in supporting the outer portion ofthe tube and in furnishing the tube with its true bearing of rotation.While the main rolls and tube are thus revolving, the main rolls aregradually approaching each other, and the consequence is that thediameter of the tube, when in contact with the main rolls, will becomereduced.

Meanwhile the nippling-rolls are approaching eachother, and the speed oftheir approach is greater than that of the main rolls. When they come incontact with the periphery ofthc metal tube, they will be revolved bythe friction of contact, and by their inward movement will serve inreducing the diameter of the tube at the point where they engage thetube. By reason of their superior speed of approach they will,obviously, effect a greater reduction of the diameter of the tube thanthe main rolls will, and as a consequence the main rolls will reduce thediameter-ot'the tube to a certain extent, and the nipplingrolls willreduce the diameter at the end of the tube to a greater extent, thusforming a nipple at the end of the tube. \Vhen the proper reduction ofdiameter has been effected, the clutch is to be thrown in the oppositedirection, the rolls opened, the chuck is to be loosened, the tubewithdrawn, a new tubeinserted, and the operations are repeated asbefore.

Assume that it is desired to produce a tube having a diameter, near thenipple, of one and one-quarter inch, and having a diameter at the nippleof seven-eighths of an inch. The machine is to be adjusted for thesesizes be fore beginning the operation upon the tubes. The main rolls arecaused to approach each other until the distance between them at theproper point is an inch and a quarter, and they are caused to remain inthis position for the time being. The screws V areloosened, thus freeingthe nipple-roll carriers from the racks, and the carriers are pushedinward until the distance between them is seven-eighths of an inch,after which. the screws Bv are tightened. The machine is now adjustedfor work. When the main rolls open, the nipple-rolls will also open, butto a greater extent, and when the main rolls move inwardly to produce atube of the diameter of an inch and a quarter the nipple-rolls will moveinwardly to produce a tube of the diameter of seven eighths of an inch.

Either the main rolls or the nippling-rolls, or both, may have shapes orcontours given to them to produce desired contours of the tube. Forinstance, in Fig. 5, it will be seen that the outer end of the nipplingroll S has an ogee contour given to it. This will result in giving tothe nipple-shoulder a shape substantially corresponding, and it isobvious that grooves in any of the rolls would serve in pro ducing beadsupon the tubes, and that beads upon the rolls would serve in producing.v

essential to main rolls for tapering work. AS'.

suine cylindrical main rolls running in contact with the tapering tubeand driving the same by friction of contact. It is obvious that therolls will tend to revolve the small end of the taper at a higherrate-of speed than the large end, and that slipping and rubbing musttake place somewhere along the length of the taper between the rolls andthe tube. For some kinds of tube material such action may result in thecrimping of the tube and in rough surfacing aud bad behavior generally.

It is obvious that main rolls having a propcrly-proportionedtaper andrunning in contact with the tapering tube will produce equal travel ofcorresponding contact-surface at all points of the taper of the tube,and the slipping referred to will not take place; but it is also obviousthat such tapering main rolls, when running in contact with the paralleltube, would be open to the same objections as exist in connection withparallel rolls in contact with a tapering tube. Therefore, as we beginoperations with a parallel tube and finish the operations with a tapertube, the true remedy cannot be completely found in tapering rollsadapted for taper tubes, and when taper tubes are produced with swellingcontours the trouble increases. p

I lessen the difficulty referred to by properly .corrugating one or bothof the main rolls, and

twoends of the cylindrical roll shown as operating upon a tapering tube,5. 9 represents a series of notches or reliefs cut in the periphery ofthe flanges. When one of these notches comes opposite the tube, it isobvious that the flange will be free from contact with the tube. It willbe noticed in Fig. 7 that the right-hand flange is in contact with thetube. The lefthand flange is not in contact with the tube,the lack ofcontact being due to the fact that a relieved portion ofthe flange isopposite thetube. Under such circumstances it will be obvious that. atthe instant of such condition the ve-' locity of rotation of the tubewill be controlled entirely by the right-hand flange. As the flangescontinue to revolve together, the notch previously referred to in theleft-hand flange will have passed beyond the tube, and the periphery ofthat flange will engage thetube, and that flange will begin to affectthe tubc'and its velocity of rotation; but at theinstantthelefthandflange takes hold of the tube the righthand flange lets go, by reason ofthe notch in the righthand flange coming opposite the tube. The velocityof the rotation of the tube will then be controlled entirely by thelefthand flange until the notch in the right-hand flange is passed and,a new notch in the lefthand flange reached. Thus it will beseen thatneither of the flanges need slip upon or rub the tube, that theperipheral velocity of the tube will correspond precisely with theperiph eral velocity of the flange which engages it, that the tube willbe driven first by one flange and then by the other, and that the speedof rotation of the tube willshift from fast to slow according to whichof the flanges is driving it. It will of course be understood that theflanges are to be provided with complete peripheral series of notches,and that as these notches will seldom,ifever, make asecond contact withthe same point of the tubes periphery they will not do harm by leavingmarks upon the tube.

The arrangement of Fig. 7 may be defined, therefore, as a pair. offlanges provided with notches so related toeach other that when thenotch of one flangeis atthetube the unnotched portion of the otherflange will be engaging the tube. It should now be understood that wemight secure a third notched flange midway between the two flanges shownand stillcarry out the same principle, the notches ofthe three flangesrespectively occupying a spiral relation to each other. It should now beapparent that we might add notched flanges between the two shown'untilwe have formed a solid cylindrical roll, the notches of the flangesvforming spiral grooves in the roll. Having thus, by means of theelementary device illustrated in Fig. 7, illustrated the principleinvolved in the spiral fluted arrangement of the roll, it is sufficientto say that in practice the principle may be carried outby simplyproviding' the main rolls, one or both, with spiral flutes, the pitch'ofthe spiral being such that IIO a single portion only of the roll willmake frictional driving contact with the periphery of the tube at onetime. Any form of flute thus spirally arranged willserve in realizingthe principle; but the production of spiral flutes upon cylindrical ortapering roll-surfaces involves the use of more or less expensivemachinery not found at hand in the machine-shop. I have thereforedevisedasystem circumferential division is effected. Put into the planing ormilling machine a cuttingtool which under ordinary circumstances wouldcuta groove of the shape indicated at \V in Fig. 9. If the roll shouldbe fluted with such a tool,we would produce simply parallel flutes ofthe shape of the tool and of a depth corresponding to the depth to whichthe tool was fed inward during the cutting. Under such circumstances thedesired flute having spiral characteristics would not be at allproduced. Now lower one end of the rollasitissupported in the planer ormilling-machinesufiiciently to permit the cutting-tool to produce thefull desired depth of the cut at one end of the roll without producingany depth of cut at the other end of the roll. Now,cut a tlute,and theflute Will be found to be tapering, as seen in Fig. 8, the flute havinga certain width at one end of the roll and running out to nothing at theother end of the roll. It will be seen that both shores ofsuch a fluteform substantially spiral lines and produce the characteristic ofspiralflutcs. Thegroove thus planed or milled may be defined as a groovewider at its top than at its bottom, and having its bottom line in aplane at a greater distance from theperiphery ofthe roll at one end thanfrom the periphery of the roll at the other end. After a roll has beenthus provided with grooves having certain depth at one end of the rolland running out to nothing at the other end of the roll, the

- roll may, if desired, be reversed endwise, or

the highest end of the roll set so as to be lowest, and a set of groovesmay be planed or milled between those alreadyproduced,thus forming uponthe rolls ribs having both sides possessing the spiral characteristic.

Attention should be called to the fact that the purpose of the chuck Fis simply to grasp and furnish a true bearing of rotation for varyingsizes of tubes. YVhere the machine is intended for but one size of tube,it is obvious that they may be run directly in a properlyfitting bearingcorrespondingwith the hearing E, and the chuck may be omitted.

I claim as my invention- 1. In a forming-machine, the combination,substantially as set forth, of a pair of rolls disposed alongside eachother and leaving a space between their peripheries, mechanism forimparting rotation to said rolls, housings for the support of the rolls,aroll-box for each journal of each roll fitted for movement in thehousing so that both rolls may be uniformly moved and adjusted to andfrom each other, mechanism for adjusting the roll-boxes and thuseffecting the opening and closing of the rolls, and a bearing for thetube disposed beyond one end of the rolls and having its axis disposedin a line passing lengthwise between the rolls.

2. In a formingmachine, the combination, substantially as set forth, ofroll-housings, roll-boxes all fitted to slide therein, mechanism foradjusting the boxes uniformly in pairs in the housings, rolls fitted torevolve in said boxes, mechanism for imparting rotary motion to therolls, a bearing disposed beyond one end of the rolls with its axis in aline passing lengthwise between the rolls, and a chuck journaled in saidbearing and adapted to receive a tube whose rear end projects throughthe chuck between the rolls.

3. In a forming'machine, the combination, substantially as set forth, ofroll-housings, roll-boxes fitted to slide in said housings, screwsengaging said roll-boxes and serving by their rotation to adjust theboxes in the housings, rollsjournaled in the roll-boxes, a driving-shaftsubstantially parallel with the rolls, a worm upon the dri wing-shaft,and a pair of shafts at right angles to said driving-shaft and providedwith worm-gears engaging said worm and with worms engaging worm-wheelson the shafts of the rolls.

4. In a fori'ning-machine, the combination, substantially as set forth,of roll-housings, roll-boxes all adjustable therein, screws forsimultaneously adjusting all the boxes, a driving-shaft, gearingarranged to transmit rotary motion from the driving-shaft to the rolls,a shaft geared to said screws, gearing fitted to transmit rotary motionfrom the driving-shaft to said lastmentioned shaft in a directioncorresponding to and slower with reference to that of the driving-shaft,so as to cause the screws to revolve either one way or the other whilethe driving-shaft revolves continonsly, and a clutch adapted to throwsuch last-mentioned gearing into action and determine the direction ofrotation of the screws.

5. In a forming-machine, the combination, substantially as set forth, ofrolls adapted to receive a tube lengthwise between them and to revolvethe tube by frictional contact and to be themselves driven by powerapplied to them, means foradjusting the rolls simultaneously anduniformly to or from a plane disposed between the rolls during therotation of the rolls, and a bearing beyond the ends of the rolls withits axis in said plane.

6. In a forming-machine, the combination, substantially as set forth, ofrolls arranged to be driven by power and to receive a tube disposedlengthwise between them and to rotate the tube by frictional contact,and rolls IlO projecting from beyond one end of and along a portion onlyof, said power-driven rol1s,fitted to engage the periphery of such tubeand be driven by frictional contact with thetube, and

5 means for adjusting said last-mentioned rolls to and from-each other.

7. In a forming-machine, the combination, substantially as set forth, ofroll-housings, roll-boxes adjustable therein, power-driven IO rollsjournaled in said boxes, means for adj usting the opening and closing ofthe rolls, rollcarriers, rolls carried by said roll-carriers andprojecting along a portion only of said powerdriven rolls and fitted tobe revolved by fric- 15 tional contact with the tube revolved byfrictional contact with said first-mentioned rolls, means for openingand closing said frictiondriven rolls simultaneously with the openingand closing of the first-mentioned rolls, and means for adjusting therelative distances of 20 approach of the two sets of rolls.

